New Contest at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Poll Results, Future Posts, and How We Look At Covers

I loved looking at our poll results from last Sunday. It turns out that most of our readers like short LGBT stories and find the ones they are reading pretty enjoyable. Also gleaned from the polls? Most of the books are purchased from Amazon first, then the publishers, then a third source, which is probably not a surprise to anyone as that juggernaut continues to plow on with major consequences for all, not just the book world. Only time it seems will be able to stop Amazon. All others will have to adjust.

Audiobooks? A surprise! I really thought our numbers would reflect the industry’s here. But for our readers only 50 percent listen to audiobooks, 43 percent don’t, and the rest don’t but can’t tell you why. Huh. According to the industry many more are listening to books these days than actually reading them. A figure I also find surprising. Maybe the real answer lies somewhere in between. Another assumption of mine? That more readers actually followed narrators but that turned out not to be true. They listened to books no matter who narrated them. Now I’m sure people actually do look for certain narrators. I certainly do. But it doesn’t stop them from listening to stories with other narrators, including narrators they may be unfamiliar with. Which is great news for new narrators and all companies who produce audiobooks.

Then it comes down to book covers. Do they still matter? The answer is a resounding yes! A majority of our readers, 72 percent, say covers matter. Which might surprise some in this age of the eBook but it shouldn’t because those covers are heavily featured too. In tours, ads, and yes, on the books themselves on publishers sites and Amazon. People still choose books by their covers (29 percent) but no one said they don’t look at them. Everyone looks at them and has a judgement about them. Do you love them? Do they make you go meh? Do you glance over them or is your attention grabbed immediately? Are you transported to another world or into a story? Did the artist do their job? And what is their job?

And do you, my readers, sense a post coming on? lol

Why yes, you do!

You see, I have been passionate about covers all my reading life, since the first cover caught my attention and made me want to pick it up and ask “what’s this about?” I’ve been asking that question ever since no matter the genre. Great artists continue to pull me in. I even have an oil painting on my wall that was once the cover of a book. It’s gorgeous. I can look at certain covers and at a glance know that it was done by Garrett Leigh or Paul Richmond, Simone’ or Anne Cain. There’s a style , a tone that shouts that artist’s name. The same goes for Reese Dante. A Reece Notley cover? Yep. Aisha Akeju is another who’s artist is quirky and different. Just look at that artist’s covers for Mell Eight’s series.

When I think of new or newer artists that stand out, Natasha Snow jumps to mind. Her covers are extremely popular and well done. Meredith Russell and Kris Jacen too.

I love it when I see a gorgeous cover that has been carefully crafted so that its not only dramatic but that it tells a story, as it should. Covers have a job to do. And many are forgetting that these days.

If I had a Skittle for every cover that had nothing to do with the story within, that seemed generic, that had a half naked male torso on it and left it at that, etc, I would have a gallon full.

And if you could ask a cover artist any question, what would it be? Send them in and be entered in our Ask A Cover Artist Giveaway! Ends in 2 weeks.

And I have also give you all three covers for the amazing novel, The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4) by Ursula K. Le Guin. My version was that first one. Each was a different edition with, of course, a different cover. What do you think of them and which do you prefer? And why? And how many of you have read this story? Curious on my part…..

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 20:

Poll Results, Posts, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Freebie Blitz for Shane and Trey (Enemies to Lovers #1) by Anyta Sunday